Misery Loves Company
by WaterLilly37
Summary: The crowned princess disappears the day before her wedding. A noble man's youngest son is blackmailed into a situation he has no choice but to comply with. A sister is on the desperate search for her missing sibling who has been missing for over five years. And a mysterious man is on the hunt for a woman, presumed dead, who could grant him the power he seeks.
1. Kikyo

**A/N: Hey everyone! Decided I would give this new story a shot. I've had this idea in my head for quite some time, just need to get it on paper. Also, this story takes place in the Middle Ages. It will also be told from a number of points of views, increasing as the story continues. There is no one main character. Think of it like a "Game of Thrones" Inuyasha version. So yes, this story is rated M.**

 **Each chapter will be in the point of view of someone. This means that some chapters may be longer than others, while others could be rather short. I will try to keep it consistent.**

 **Oh, if you are a Kikyo hater than you might want to skip this story altogether. It won't focus solely on her, but she will be playing a big part and is the character I picked to start this story off.**

 **If you like this story, please check out my other one called "Forget About Me". I will be updating that one while working on this new story as well.**

 **Can't wait to hear your opinions! All reviews, comments, and criticism are welcomed.**

 **And enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter One**

 **Kikyo**

* * *

A young girl, the age of fourteen, watched her reflection stare back at her from the bedroom mirror. Her eyes looked sad, as if in a moment's time, she could break down and cry.

Yet her face showed no emotion. Stone cold.

The older woman also in the room started to make her way to the young girl. She wore the typical black gown with a white apron, as all female servants in her home was required to do. Her hair in a bun tied to the back of her round head, she practically skipped over to the young girl with a smile upon her face.

" _My, you look as beautiful as ever."_ The young girl ignored the compliment and continued to stare at herself in the mirror. The woman was but a servant. She was suppose to say things like that. _"Now, shall I brush your hair?"_

The girl did not respond, but this did not stop the woman. She started from the young girl's left side and began.

When did her hair get so long? She wondered. It had reached well past her chest, almost reaching the end of her bottom. The older woman continued to brush.

" _My lady, your hair is as soft as ever. It's no wonder all the Kingdom's maidens are envious of you."_

Liar.

No one was envious of her. And if they did, it was only her title that they were envious of.

" _Your dress should be arriving any moment."_ The woman smiled, trying to coax the young girl into conversation. _"I heard the Duke himself picked it out just for you!"_

The young girl could feel her stomach turn. Her hands, which were placed on her lap, clenched into tiny fists.

The Duke.

He was five years her senior and belonged to the House Onigumo. He was tall, very rich, and extremely handsome. He was the talk of the continent, if not the world. His body was built like an ox and his voice could send any woman into ecstasy with a single word.

All but one.

She could still picture that night three months ago; the cold damp room, the dim flickering light from a candle and the dark hooded figure who had her pinned down on the floor. She could feel his weight push down on her chest as one hand was clamped over her mouth; the other had her hands above her head.

She couldn't recognize the face; it was much too dark for that. His cloak kept hidden most of his features as a safety measure so he could not be identified later. But there was one thing he could not hide.

His eyes.

She could remember the lustful look his eyes had given her, as they traveled up and down her body. She was fully clothed, but never did she feel so exposed to this _monster._ It was his eyes that gave him away, the thing that told her who he was. She had seen his face so many times before.

He gave a small chuckle as he slowly removed his hand from her mouth.

" _Now my pretty, don't make a sound…"_ The young girl did as she was told, heart racing and begging for anyone to come and find them.

The man slowly took his one free hand and started to rip off her dress. She could hear the material rip as she too, felt her heart do the same.

The man smirked.

" _Good girl."_ She could feel the tears in her eyes start to trickle down her face and fall to the floor, yet the man did not stop. In fact, it seemed like he enjoyed such emotion coming from the young girl. He then proceeded to pull at her corset until, that too, was ripped away exposing her bare breasts.

" _This could have been all avoided if you minded your own god damn business."_

She so badly wanted to scream. Call out to any of the guards, servants, maids, anyone within distance of hearing her. But instead, she stayed silent. Afraid to move, afraid to even breathe.

She could feel his hand caress her left breast, as his mouth slowly cupped her nipple. She closed her eyes trying to scream herself awake, hoping it was nothing but a nightmare.

But it was all too real.

The man raised his head up and stared down at the young girl, a smirk coming across his face.

" _Your punishment has only just begun."_

Knock knock.

The sound of the door forced the girl to come back to her senses. Gone were the dark room, the flickering lights, and most importantly the Duke. The older woman stopped her mundane task of brushing the girl's hair and turned around. _"Come in!"_

The door opened as three younger servants smiled holding onto what the young girl could only guess was the dress wrapped in a brown cotton sheet.

" _Ah, it has arrived."_ The older servant replied happily as she motioned the three younger girls to place the dress on the bed. They laid it gently down and as quickly as they came, they left closing the door behind them once again.

" _Oh, shall we take a look?"_ The older woman asked gleefully, slowly rubbing her hand against the brown sheet.

The young girl did not budge. She was uninterested in the dress, but more importantly she didn't think her stomach could handle it.

" _Now child, don't be shy! Come, let us take a look."_ The woman glided to where the girl sat and linked her arm in with hers as she practically dragged her to the bed.

The young girl tried to fight her instinct to just run away as she watched the servant slowly unwrap the dress with such great care.

The dress looked magnificent. It was white in color with gold lace shaped like flowers on the bottom and around the border of the neck. The sleeves, as per custom, were long and nearly touched the floor. It was wide around the neck as to expose much of her shoulders. A golden fabric belt was laid upon the dress as to fit her properly around the waist. A veil was also laid upon the dress, white and covered in the golden laced flowers around the edges.

The girl could feel a large lump in the pit of her stomach as she felt the urge to vomit right then and there.

" _My lady,"_ said the servant, noticing the look of distress come over her young master. _"Are you okay?"_

She could feel the contents of her stomach coming up. Her body started to shake as she felt the strength in her legs leaving her. She quickly turned and faced the opposite direction of the bed.

" _Princess Kikyo"_ was all that she heard before she fell to the floor on her knees and hands, hot tears she didn't even know she was making hit the floor. She could hear her rapid breathing, as she was trying to think straight and compose herself.

The servant quickly made her way to Kikyo's side and placed her hands on her shoulders.

" _Princess Kikyo, should I fetch a doctor?"_ The woman asked voice thick with worry. Kikyo pushed the woman aside as she took two or three deep breaths.

" _I am fine."_ She replied as she slowly got back up to her feet. _"Please, take that thing away."_

The servant, still very much concerned over her fallen princess, nodded and went back to the bed to wrap the dress back up.

Kikyo walked back over to the bench she was previously sitting on when getting her hair done, and sat down upon it. She was tired. So very tired.

She pictured the man with a smirk on his face and heard his sickening laughter ringing through her ears as she wrapped her arms around herself. She may never have seen his face clearly, but she knew without a doubt that that man from that night and the Duke were the same person.

It only confirmed her suspicion when only a few short days later, her grandfather was given a request for marriage: The Omnigumo's only son, Naraku for the Royal Family's First Born, Princess Kikyo.

Guess he wanted to keep her close.

It seemed like the perfect deal to everyone else. Omnigumo was a power house family, a family to be feared. Their armies held countless soldiers and they were rich beyond words. Nobody crossed them, not even the Royal Family though her family would tell her otherwise.

Then it was her family. Her grandfather was the King, and because of his age he end would be coming sooner than later. Her father was killed leaving her mother to be a widow, but not before she gave birth to their two daughters. Because of the death of the previous King, her grandfather was forced to take the throne back and leaving Kikyo, the oldest daughter to marry in order for a new King to be established.

Kikyo was uninterested in marriage and her mother tried to push it. Her mother wanted Kikyo to find someone she truly loved, much like she did with her father. But how was Kikyo suppose to find love cooped up in a castle, training day in and day out on how to be the perfect queen for the country?

When the offer came to her grandfather about marriage to the Duke, he was all but thrilled. It was about time she married anyway. She was fourteen, and not getting any younger.

No matter how much Kikyo protested, her words fell flat. Her grandfather accepted the marriage proposal and here she was, three months later.

Just as Kikyo was about to break down and cry, she heard another knock on the door. This time, it seemed much gentler than that of the servants.

Kikyo quickly wiped her face from the tears and jumped up from the bench.

" _Come in."_

The door slowly opened as a small child peaked into the room. When the female child noticed Kikyo, the door flew open as she sprinted to her, arms wide open.

" _Sis!"_ the young child smiled. _"Can you play with me now?"_ Kikyo bent down and hugged the child before releasing her and staring into those soft innocent brown eyes.

" _Kagome."_ She breathed, thankful for her sister's interruption. It was like a breath of fresh air to see the smiling face of her ten year old sibling.

Though not a big difference in age, Kikyo had long but lost her childlike innocence. She was much more mature than her sister. She had to be. She was the heir to the throne after all. Her life was full of rules and regulations, high expectations, meetings with the counsel, and of course learning to handle the affairs of the people in her Kingdom. She had no time to be a child.

" _So can you play now?"_ asked Kagome, eyes wide and smiling.

" _I wish I could Kags, but I can't. I have to meet with grandfather soon and discuss tomorrow's-"_ She stopped, not wanting to finish. Kagome looked at her sister confused.

" _Oh."_ The child seemed disappointed by her sister's response. _"Well, is there anything I can do to help?"_

Kikyo felt her heart ache. There was no way she was allowing her sister to be apart of this. _He_ would not be laying a single finger upon her. That she would be damned.

" _No, there is nothing more for you to do. You were already such a big help."_ Kikyo replied, now stroking her little sister's head. _"Now go to bed. It's late and we have a big day tomorrow."_

The little girl pouted as she stared into her older sister's eyes. _"But I'm not tired yet."_

" _Of course not. But I don't want you to fall asleep during the ceremony."_

Kagome laughed. _"I wouldn't do that silly."_ Kikyo grabbed her little sister and proceeded to tickle her as her laughter rang throughout the bedroom. It was such a happy sound.

If only this moment could last forever, Kikyo found herself thinking.

Kagome gave one last smile before she started to make her way towards the door.

" _Sis, I am going to be the prettiest flower girl for you."_

" _You already are."_ She replied as Kagome ran out into the hall, door slamming behind her.

Kikyo turned and walked towards one of many windows in her room. She opened up the shutters and peered out into her Kingdom. The sun had almost set and the air was cool. She could hear the bustle of the crowd below, everyone doing some last minute preparations for the big day tomorrow.

Again, the man appeared in her mind. It seemed like now more than ever he invaded her thoughts. And soon, he would invade her life entirely.

That's when she heard some voices from below. She had recognized the voices as a pair of maids that worked within her home. She was about to close the shutters when she heard one of them start to talk.

" _Hey, did you hear? Apparently another one made the jump."_

Kikyo stopped what she was doing and without meaning to, she started to eavesdrop on the women's conversation.

She could hear the second woman gasp.

" _Are you sure? Poor lass, the demons must have been too much for her."_ Demons. Kikyo had heard about these demons from many people around her Kingdom. Apparently people were being targeted by these demons and would slowly lose their mind to the point where they would often commit suicide. The cases of these demons were increasing, especially as of late. When Kikyo had asked her mother about it, she kindly smiled and said, _"Demons do not exist child. These people are simply sick and can't think clearly. This is why they often do what they do."_ Kikyo was unsure about that.

" _Who knows,"_ the first woman responded, bringing Kikyo back to their conversation. _"But it's starting to get really common nowadays. Makes me worry about my young daughters' at home."_

" _Oh nonsense, you have nothing to worry about. Your daughters are fine lasses."_ The second one replied. _"But I do wish they would do something about that damn bridge. Seems to do nothing but attract young maidens to their demise. No chance of surviving that fall."_

" _That's because no one can find the body most times."_ The first woman added.

Kikyo took a step back from the window and closed the shutters, all but drowning out the voices of the two women down below.

She had heard about this bridge. It was built years before she was born in order to connect their Kingdom to a small island called Marlu, not far from their land. The island was known for having very fertile soil so many of the land's farmers insisted on a bridge to be built in order to access this golden opportunity. As much as it was debated, the bridge was built and farmers were quick to build their homes there, providing a large amount of fresh produce to the Kingdom, doubling the amount they once had.

The problem being, the bridge was also famous for taking the lives of many who ventured out onto it and jumped into the waters below. The water was icy cold, even in the summer heat. The rocks were sharp and the rapids were fierce and relentless. Most who had fallen into the water did not make it back out. In most cases, the water was too dangerous to attempt a rescue, never mind retrieving a body.

Kikyo found herself, for the first time ever, very interested in this bridge. She took one glance at her bedroom door and listened. Nothing.

She grabbed a dark red cloak from her wardrobe and quickly put it on.

She was crazy.

If anyone caught her, she would be severely punished. No princess was allowed to venture anywhere by themselves, especially alone in the dark.

But she didn't care.

Kikyo walked to her door, opened it, and started making her way outside without a single glance back.

* * *

The water was vicious. Waves were crashing against the stone bridge. She slowly started to walk across it, still unsure of what the outcome of this would be.

Was she really thinking of doing it?

She continued to walk, taking in the site of the bridge itself. It was indeed old. The cobblestone walkway was full of pot holes from the ware and tear of so many carts making its way across it every day. Each arch on the bridge looked as though it had taken its fair share of abuse from mother nature.

And of course, people from all walks of life walked it, rushing to finish up for the day and return home to their loved ones.

Not one person took notice of the young women in the red cloak walking with no company. She hoped no one would recognize her.

Kikyo walked until she had reached the middle of the bridge. She placed her hands on the side and leaned over to view the wrath of the water below. It was terrifying.

She noticed her hands start to shake, but other than that, she strangely felt herself at ease. She continued to watch the water, trying to think of reasons as to why she shouldn't do it. For every good thing she could think of, the face of the Duke creeped into her thoughts and all but shattered it. She was starting to realize how much the Duke had robbed her of her normal mundane life.

She drew in a deep breath. This was the only chance she had.

If she went through with the wedding and then tried to end herself, the title would already be in Naraku's hands, leaving her family to be under his rein and that she did not want. At the very least, the Kingdom would be forced to wait until Kagome became a little older and have her marry. Kikyo just prayed that it wouldn't be Naraku.

The young princess had forgotten about the time and took a gander around. The pedestrians had dwindled to almost nothing. The sun had all but set behind the horizon, leaving nothing but the darkness. A few candles could be seen in the distance of the houses of her people. The wind was the only thing left to be heard.

She took a deep breath and began climbing the edge of the bridge. She used a stone arch upon the bridge as anchorage to help her up. Once up, the young princess held onto the stones that made up the arch to keep her from falling over.

She wanted to go on her terms, not by accident.

She took another look at the water below. She knew that there was no turning back once she jumped. The idea terrified her, yet filled with her the hope of true escape.

She took a deep breath. She would count down. No turning back now. She had to do it!

 _Five._

Her grandfather would surely be furious once he found out. The heir to their family committed suicide. She could only hope that this one final act of hers wouldn't destroy her family's good name.

 _Four._

Her mother. This would certainly break her mother's heart. Not only did she lose the man she loved, but also her first born. Kikyo could only hope that she could pull through her despair much like she did when her love left her to raise their two daughters alone.

 _Three._

Kagome. Her poor sister would be devastated. Most of their time growing up, they only had each other. She felt the worse for betraying her dear sister, but she could only hope that in due time, Kagome would come to forgive her.

 _Two._

That monster. Why, even now, did he invade her thoughts as she was about to take her life? Couldn't she even have this moment alone to herself without his presence wiggling its way in, uninvited? She pictured his face, that smug grin of his thinking that he won. And maybe he did.

She let go of the stone arch and moved herself about a foot away from it. There she stood on top of the edge, hands shaking and a look of determination across her face.

This was it.

 _One._

She took one last breathe before she closed her eyes and fell forward.


	2. Inuyasha

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed that little cliff hanger from the previous chapter! Sorry for the slow start. I will try to make most of these chapters as interesting as possible, but some things need to be explained a little before I can get into the meat of the story.**

 **Also, my updates will typically be on Friday evenings. You may have one or two chapters earlier, some may even be a little late but I am trying to stick it to once a week.**

 **All reviews and criticism welcomed!**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 **Inuyasha**

* * *

If there was one thing Inuyasha hated, it was crowds. Yet here he was, amongst the hustle and bustle of a kingdom riddled with people going in all directions preparing for what would be known as one of the biggest weddings of the century.

The young boy of thirteen with long silver hair casually walked the streets of the cobblestone road, hands in his pants pockets without a care in the world. And why would he? This wedding that everyone, including his own family, was so crazy about meant nothing to him. He was just dragged along for the ride.

His family, like many others, had come from all over the 12 kingdoms to see the wedding of the Higarashi Family's Royal Princess, Kikyo, be married to the powerful Onigumo family's only son, Naraku.

The boy continued to make his way down the street, no clear destination in mind. Mind you, it was his first trip ever to Asgaard or to any place of this size. He weaved in and out of people's way as they scurried around like mice, trying to get where they were going in such a hurry. All the while he took a gander of the buildings and the intertwined passages that lead to only other parts of this overly large maze of a city.

Just then, an older gentleman who happened to be carrying some bags of flour had accidentally bumped into the young silver haired boy causing him to fall to the ground with a thud.

" _I'm sorry, I din' mean that"_ The older gentlemen said apologetically. _"Ere, let me help you."_ The man extended his hand but the young boy pushed it away.

" _I'm fine."_ Inuyasha said. _"It's nothing."_ The older man just nodded and continued on. Inuyasha wasn't use to people being so friendly with him. In fact, it was quite the opposite. So when someone was actually nice to him, he would respond in defense instead of gratitude. He couldn't help it. He certainly didn't live the life of luxury as most people thought a noble man's son would live, polite and well mannered. That's because Inuyasha was a bastard child. His mother was not the lady of the house, but a mistress. She was labeled as the home wrecker, the one who ruined the good name of the great Takashika family, a family of honorable warriors for the Royal Family. And Inuyasha was viewed much the same. His life wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either. It was as if he didn't exist. None of the servants or maids acknowledged him, none of the other children would play with him, and nobody would raise the boy outside of making sure extra was cooked during meal times. It was if he was just there as a constant reminder of the terrible act his father made to his loving wife who ultimately left him alone to raise his two sons.

He kicked the dirt under his feet as he continued to walk.

His mother, who he loved dearly and who was the only person to ever give a rats ass on what happened to him, had died when he was only six. She had committed suicide after the scrutiny she had to endure once the village found out that her son was the son of Lord Toga. She was hated by the village and they did nothing to hide the fact.

It was shortly after that Inuyasha was taken from his home, or what he could call a home, and was invited to live in the castle with his father and his half brother, Sesshōmaru. His father treated him as if he was trying to create a family bond with him. Toga didn't hate the boy, yet he also didn't take the time to get to know him. Instead, rules and regulations were thrown his way and he was forced to abide by schedules and appearances. Toga wanted Inuyasha to be apart of his family by molding him into a proper lord's son. Inuyasha hated every second of it and would often act out, but Toga didn't let that deter him from pushing this life on Inuyasha anyway. As for his half brother, Inuyasha knew Sesshomaru hated his very existence. He made sure Inuyasha felt unwanted every change he got, and that he knew his place in the household. No matter how much his father tried to make him part of this "family", Sesshomaru would strip that away but putting him back in his place – he was nothing but a bastard child.

Even now, he was still excluded from public events and special occasions. Why would anyone want a bastard child there? It was normal for him to be stuck inside his room during these celebrations, or outside roaming the streets in peace knowing everyone else was at the castle. This didn't bother him one bit. In fact, he preferred it.

This wedding was the only exception.

This was a ceremony for everyone to attend, pure bloods and bastards alike. This was a celebration like none other and everyone was invited to witness the great event! So of course Toga jumped at the chance to bring, probably for the first time ever, both his sons with him on such an occasion. Inuyasha was less than joyful about the news.

So here the young boy was now, finally making his way outside his village walls and finding himself wondering aimlessly around a city and a celebration he wanted no part in.

Inuyasha found himself already growing anguish around the crowd and started looking for a way out of the crowded city walls and buildings. He desperately needed fresh air and space. So he started to run around the crowds and pushing his way through looking for any signs of escape. After what felt like an eternity, he managed to make his way into a clearing where he could comfortably walk without other people's limbs knocking him to the ground. He took a gander at his surroundings. He noticed wharfs stretched from as far as the eye could see with markets lined off selling fishing gear and the many wonders of the sea, most of which Inuyasha had never seen before. Like the rest of the city, people were found wondering the docks buying the latest catch of the day, or preparing for the celebrations ahead. Though unlike inside the city, the docks seemed to be a lot less crowded. Inuyasha decided he would wait it out around here for the crowds to die down before making his way back to the inn where they would be staying the night.

His stomach started to growl so Inuyasha made his way down to the markets to grab a bite to eat. He looked at each of the vendors eyeing their stock, trying to decide on what looked the most fresh. Eventually he stopped by a stand that was selling squid. He never had that before and figured it was worth a try. He took a few coins from his pocket, the only money he had one him, and handed to the salesperson. The man working the stall happily handed the silver haired boy a roasted squid on a stick. The smell made Inuyasha's mouth water, but before he could take a bite, more people had made their way to the vendor and started to push him aside.

Inuyasha scrambled to get out of the way and managed to get into a clearing. The longer he stayed in this damn city, the more he hated it. He walked over to the edge of the wharf and sat down. Surely he would be able to eat his supper now in peace?!

He started to put the food to his mouth when he felt something on his lap. He was taken back as he peered down to see but a small boy with flaming orange hair and bright green eyes stare back at him. The boy, no bigger than a toddler, was resting his hands on Inuyasha's lap peering at the food in Inuyasha's hands. He looked no bigger than a toddler.

" _What do you want?"_ Inuyasha snarled, the boy didn't seem to mind. Upon closer inspection, Inuyasha noticed that the boy was wearing worn out clothes with tears and dirt everywhere. The boy himself was covered in dirt and looked like he hadn't had a bath in months. Quickly, his defensive demeanor faded as leaned in towards the boy. _"Are you hungry? Is this what you want?"_ The boy smiled at him, yet didn't speak a word.

Inuyasha signed as he handed his supper over to the boy. He hastily grabbed it from Inuyasha's hand as if he didn't want to give him the chance to change his mind. And just as fast as he appeared, the boy turned tail and started to run back into the crowd.

Now what? Inuyasha didn't have any more money so there was no way he could just purchase another one and he figured that he still have some time left before he had to return to the inn. That's when he discovered the bridge about fifty feet away from him. It stretched from the edge of the city to a small island. The island, from what he could tell, was filled with trees and dirt roads, small birds circled above while a handful of people rested along the coastline of pebbles and stones. Compared to the city, this small island seemed like just the place for him to get away.

Inuyasha jumped up and started to run towards the bridge making his way through the crowd. By the time he finally got there, the sun was already setting. Still, it would be a waste to turn back now. It's not like his father or brother would miss him. He had come home much later than this many times and nothing was ever said. He stepped onto the bridge and started his journey across.

It wasn't until Inuyasha was about halfway across when he noticed something odd. He stopped walking and peered into the distance. Sure enough, he noticed a person – a young person – standing on the edge of the bridge looking straight down. Were they looking for something? Inuyasha walked over to the same side of the bridge and peered below. He noticed large waves and large white caps smashing against the posts sending the spray of the water in all directions. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He looked back up and at the figure. That's when he noticed something wrong. The person had let go of the arch they had previously been holding onto and was now about a foot away from it.

And just like that, he had a flashback of his mother, who too, stood in a similar fashion on a cliff where he was from.

Without realizing, he leaped forward and made the dash towards the person.

Just as he as got up next to the figure, they started to lean forward.

 _NO!_ Inuyasha screamed internally. He leaned over the edge as far as his body would allow him without falling over himself.

He had no idea had he made it, but it did. In his hand was the left leg of the person who had just tried to kill themselves. Without a second's hesitation, he used all the strength he could muster and pulled the person up and over the bridge and on top of him.

" _You stupid idiot!"_ he could hear himself through clenched teeth. _"What the HELL do you think you're doing?"_

And for the first time, Inuyasha looked into the brown eyes of a young woman with hot tears streaming down her face and a look of complete shock. He quietly moved the girl off of him as he took a quick glance around. Nobody seemed to notice or care about what just happened. This place was no better than home with the ignorance.

His gaze fell back towards the young girl who by now was shaky, but had seemed to gain some of her composure back.

" _You don't think people will care if you are dead?"_ Inuyasha snarled. _"Don't be so damn selfish."_ He stood in front of the girl now and extended his hand.

The girl, still half in shock, looked up at her savior. He couldn't tell what she was thinking. She gladly accepted his hand and stood up. Once Inuyasha knew she would be ok, he turned to face the direction he just came from. _"Go home now that you still can."_

As he took a few steps he could hear from behind, the girl taking a deep breath and exhaling.

" _I can't."_

Inuyasha stopped and turned to face the girl. She removed the hood that had since covered most of her head so that Inuyasha could have a good look at her. Her black hair was long and was well past her shoulders. Her small face gave him a stern and serious look which he had taken him by surprise. He noticed her cloak and her dress that was underneath looked fairly new telling him that this girl was not in hard shape. She looked nothing like the boy he gave up his supper to earlier.

" _By the look of you, I'd say that you can."_ He focused his eyes on her clothing, giving her the indication that he knew she had some sort of status.

" _You don't understand. It has nothing to do with me not having a home."_ She replied.

" _Enlighten me then. Why can't you go home?"_

The girl stared down at the floor as her tiny hands balled up into fists at her side. He could see the pain on her face. _"If I go back now, it will be over for me."_ Inuyasha signed as he walked the few steps back towards the girl until they were only about a foot apart.

" _Oh, because jumping off a bridge would be so much better,"_ Inuyasha sarcastically replied. _"I don't know what your deal is, but killing yourself is certainly not the answer."_

" _Then what the hell am I suppose to do?!"_ screamed the girl, her eyes deadlocked with his. He could feel her anger and hurt as if it was suffocating him where he stood. Clearly she had her reasons for what she was trying to do. _"I know you think you saved me back there, but in all honesty, you have sent me to my death instead."_ The tears started to swell up in her eyes. Inuyasha didn't understand. _"Please, just leave me be! This has nothing to do with you."_

" _I can't do that. The moment I leave, you're going to attempt to jump again, aren't you?"_ The young girl didn't reply, but it was all the answer he needed.

" _Then tell me. Why are you trying to kill yourself? What is happening to you that is making you feel like jumping is the only escape?"_

The girl wiped the tears from her eyes and looked back up at the boy, her stern face returning once again. _"If I tell you, you must do something in return for me."_ Inuyasha did NOT like where this was going. But what other choice did he have? He couldn't leave her here alone for the moment he disappeared; she would take the same leap of death his mother took. He didn't want that no matter how much of a pain this young girl had become to him. He gave her a small smirk. He was so unlike his character to care about anyone other than himself.

" _Fine."_ Relief washed over the young girl as he saw her body, for the first time since they ran into each other, finally relax. _"Well? Spit it out."_

" _I want you to take me with you."_

Inuyasha stood looking at the girl when the reality of what she just asked him dawned on him.

" _Wait what?"_

" _I said take me with you."_

Inuyasha placed two of his hands in front of himself and started to wave them frantically. _"No no no no way!"_ He stammered. _"Like the hell I am agreeing to that! Think of something else!"_

" _That's the deal"_ The girl said matter-of-factly. _"You either take me with you, or I will jump."_ Inuyasha's teeth were clenched as he could feel his temper rise. Like the hell he could take her with him. What would his brother say? What would his father say? He rubbed his hand on his forehead.

" _How the heck am I supposed to do that? It's not like I have anything to offer you and I doubt my family will be willing to take on a noble man's runaway daughter who tried to kill herself just moments before."_

" _I don't want a new home,"_ replied the girl. _"I want a way out of these city walls. And you are going to help me. Once I am far enough away, I will leave your side, I promise."_

Inuyasha stared at the girl and knew she was serious. Whatever she was running from, he doubt he could change her mind.

" _Fine, but you are going to tell me everything. No half truths, you hear?"_ The girl smiled at Inuyasha and nodded.

Inuyasha let out one last sign as he turned his back to her. _"So what's your name?"_

" _If I tell you that, you can't go back on your word."_ She started walking towards the direction of the city with Inuyasha leading the way.

" _What is that suppose to mean?"_ Inuyasha asked, confused at the conversation.

" _It means exactly what I said."_ Great. He was already half regretting his decision. Though there was something about this girl that drew him in, like an invisible string pulling him in her direction.

" _It won't change my mind."_ He finally responded.

The girl took in a deep breath and turned to face Inuyasha, all the while keeping up her pace by walking backwards, hands behind her. _"Kikyo."_

Inuyasha could feel his heart plummet to the bottom of his feet.

What the hell did he get himself into?


	3. Sesshomaru

**A/N: For anyone who has left a review, I thank you! I also want to thank anyone who has stuck it out this far. I promise, it will only get better from here on out… or at least I would like to think. Don't forget to leave a review.**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

 **Sesshomaru**

* * *

7 Years Later

" _You do understand how important this is?"_

The young lord dressed in white and red robes, the colors of House Takashika, nodded. He stood in front of his father, his face emotionless. He wasn't one to show his emotions. He was the heir to the Hayashida family after all. He had to be calm and level headed at all times.

A letter lay open on Lord Toga's desk, the stamp of the Royal Family sat at the top of the page. His hands rested in front of him, neatly folded as he stared at his first born son.

" _I understand"_ came the monotone replied. Sesshomaru, though uninterested in these kinds of dealings, knew all too well what this could mean for his family and his title if he succeeded. There was no room for failure.

" _Good. Now then, the journey is about a month long. I suggest you gather your things and your men and be ready to leave as soon as possible."_ Sesshomaru did not say a word, but just nodded. He was already well prepared to leave. The young lord turned around and started heading towards the door.

" _Oh, and take your brother with you. He could use with a vacation I'm sure."_ Sesshomaru stopped and turned to face his father, about to say something when he heard, _"And that's an order."_ All hope of persuading his father to allow him to go alone was gone. Sesshomaru just bowed to his father and continued out the door less than pleased about the situation.

" _My lord!"_ cried a familiar voice. However, Sesshomaru did not heed the man. He continued to walk down the hall of his family estate.

" _Please my lord, if you could only slow down! I can't keep up like I use to."_ The small man in a brown and red cloak had finally caught up. Slightly winded and using his cane as a crutch, he stared up at the young lord as he continued to walk by his side. _"I've heard the news and I am sure you are most pleased-"_ the small man began.

" _Jaken"_ Sesshomaru cut off the man, his voice as calm and unemotional as it had been since Jaken could remember. _"We leave in an hour."_ Jaken stopped walking and nodded.

" _Yes my lord"_

" _And tell the Halfling if he is not ready within that time, he will be left behind."_

" _Yes of cour- wait, Lord Inuyasha is going as well?"_ Jaken looked somewhat taken back at the notion of this. _"But my lord, are you sure that he should go to an event this important? I mean, with him there wouldn't your chances of becoming –"_

" _Jaken"_ Sesshomaru repeated again, this time he couldn't keep the anger from escaping from his voice. _"Do not make me repeat myself."_ The small man started to panic and proceeded to kneel to the ground with his hands outstretched in front of him.

" _Forgive me please!"_ He cried. _"I will go at once!"_ Without a second word, the man jumped up and disappeared as fast as he had come. _

If there was one thing that Sesshomaru hated more than disobedience, it was waiting. He sat in the carriage with the window opened and staring into the blue sky. His demeanor did not match his true feelings. As calm and collected as he looked like on the outside, inside is was absolutely fuming.

It was well past the hour and still, his trusted advisor Jaken and his younger half-brother Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen. As much as he wanted to give the command to leave both behind, he knew his father would frown upon it. It was an order after all.

" _I said LET. ME. GO!"_

Sesshomaru turned his attention to the other side of the carriage and peered outside. He noticed his brother dressed in his rats tail robe laying down on the ground with a few of the guardsmen holding him down. Just a few feet away from him stood Jaken, clearly panting and beaten from what he could only assume was his brother.

" _You bastards, I will break the arms of every last one-"_ and before the hanyou had time to finish, one of the guardsmen pushed his face into the dirt.

" _Mister Jaken, how do you suppose we are to travel with the young lord like this?"_ The men continued to struggle with Inuyasha as he continuously tried to fight them off.

Sesshomaru could feel his blood pressure rise. He was already late which was but a simple sting to his appearance. They were of noble blood so how this ingrate had not been done away with by their father was beyond Sesshomaru's understanding. The older brother stepped out of the carriage unbeknownst to the others and walked right up to them.

" _Listen here you indespicable brat!"_ Jaken bellowed as he leaned over the hanyou, noses just inches apart. _"You are going whether you like it or not. So give up this nonsense and do as you've been told! Do you not realize how important this is to your brother?!"_

Inuyasha glared at the man, teeth showing. _"Like I give a rat's ass what happens to him!"_ And just as Jaken was about to say his retort, Inuyasha's body was flown into the castle's stone gate with a hard thud. His body fell to the ground with a thump. Jaken and the guardsmen were in utter disbelief. What just happened?

Sesshomaru stood only inches from where Inuyasha was and his face all but answered the question. _"Listen here bastard, you've already hit my last nerve. I suggest you behave before I have you beheaded."_ And without another word, Sesshomaru turned back around and started to make his way back to the carriage.

Inuyasha lifted his face from the dirt and snarled in the direction of his brother. _"I don't care what the hell you have to say. I am not going and you can't make me."_ In the blink of an eye, Sesshomaru had Inuyasha heled up by this throat and raised into the air.

" _Don't test my patience more than you already have."_ Sesshomaru smirked when Inuyasha grabbed at his arm with two hands and tried to fight himself loose. The difference in strength between brothers was enormous and nothing pleased Sesshomaru more. This good for nothing should have been killed at infancy. He was weak, ignorant, and worse of all, a bastard child.

With one good wave, Sesshomaru tossed Inuyasha back into the stone wall and continued to walk back to the carriage. He had enough of this.

Inuyasha tried catching his breath now that he was once again able to breath. Jaken and the guards took this opportunity and walked over to the hanyou to apprehend him with much more ease.

" _My lord, where should I put him?"_ Jaken asked, hoping his lord wasn't in too bad of a mood.

" _Tie him to the wooden carts. He can walk with the horses."_

" _As you wish, my lord."_

Sesshomaru climbed back into the carriage and sat back down, placing his hand over a small white piece of paper that he had laid there while dealing with the hanyou. On the top of the page was the Royal Family Crest, the same letter his father had received earlier that month. He picked it up and quickly glanced over it again.

 _ **Dearest Hayashida Family;**_

 _ **We are pleased to invite you to the Royal Palace in Asgaard where we will be holding a very special party. Princess Kagome Higurashi, sole heir to the Royal Family, has come of age and will be choosing her King two months from today. We are pleased to announce that your oldest child, Sesshomaru Hayashida, has been selected as a chosen candidate. Your son must be present in house colors with a gift for the future queen in order to be considered.**_

 _ **We thank you.**_

 _ **Higurashi Royal Family**_

Sesshomaru tossed the paper to the side as he gave the order to move out. He could hear the faint outroar of his brother and turned his attention back to the window trying to ignore it.

He would not let his brother mess this up.


End file.
